As the number 1 supplier of trampoline park socks to the industry we rely on our factory in China to provide socks for our customers. The Chinese New Year (CNY) is an annual holiday that can have a negative impact on your business and the following advice is meant to help all park operators, whether you are a customer or not.

Please bear in mind that this is not a ‘sales exercise’ as the aim here is to ensure you do not have any issues with your supply of socks. It will result in your jumpers having branded socks. It will also mean you don’t pay more for your socks than you have to. In 2017 the knock on effect of not planning for the Chinese New Year had a detrimental effect on the supply of socks.

There is a FAQ below to answer your questions and guidance on when you should order by.

When is the Chinese New Year?

In China they have a festival to celebrate the new year which is based on a lunar cycle. In 2018 this begins on 16th February 2018 and will continue for 15 days when they have the lantern festival.

How does this affect me?

If your grip socks for Trampoline Parks are produced in China, ordering them in the run up to the New year is likely to be delayed as the factories will be very busy. It may mean your order has to wait till after the New Year. Factories don’t always resume full capacity after the New Year so all in all, production can be interrupted typically for 4-6 weeks, possibly longer.

Ordering now is not good for my cashflow!

Cashflow is a concern for any business. At Samurai we can work out payment terms to help you depending on the relationship we have. Get in touch with your account manager. If you are not a customer please speak to our sales team.

Can I use Air Freight to get my socks quicker?

Yes you can but it will be more expensive. We want our customers to use Sea Freight all year round as its cheaper and better for your business.

Is there an alternative to ordering from China?

We keep generic trampoline park socks (stock socks) in bulk in our warehouse (see picture below) to cater for emergencies and for top ups. At the moment we have 200,000 socks (in a range of sizes) but this number changes all the time. Please do not rely on our stock socks as you may be disappointed. We will always try to keep these socks in stock but we cannot guarantee having the amount and sizes you need.

I don’t have the facilities to store more socks

We have warehousing facilities that can be used to store your socks. Please contact me or speak to your account manager for more information.

What do you recommend for ordering?

To order now! Don’t leave it too late as you may not receive your socks on time. If there is an issue with a sample (and you need a new one) it can be rectified with time to spare. Last year one of our customers tried to order some socks just before the New year. We were unable to get any samples until after the holidays were over which ended with the customer having to use our stocks socks.

Do you have any specific dates by when I should order?

Please see the chart below and it is split by orders from new and existing customers as there is a difference between the two.

What can I do to avoid this issue again?

The best thing to do is to change your order cycle so that you request your socks at other times of the year. Speak to your account manager to help you arrange this.

My name is Ian Kerr and I am a Logistics Expert with over 30 years experience of dealing with goods being shipped, flown and delivered around the world. I am a Director at Samurai Promotions and if you have any questions or queries please email me or call me on +44 (0)208 751 2222. US customers can reach me on 011 44 208 751 2222.